Only a Matter of Time
by Twin Kats
Summary: Half-Ghosts Time & Magic Universe / TUE-future / They made him late; they made him miss his chance and now...well, now the world is ending. It burns in the fire of Dan Phantom, and he walks beside him all the way. / Warning: DARK-FIC, STRONG LANGUAGE
1. Prologue: Too Late

**Only a Matter of Time  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Prologue  
_**Too Late**

Clockwork huffed angrily as he shut his door. For the first time _in over ten thousand centuries_ he'd gotten so fed up with the Observants that he went and _physically_ shoved them out the door.

He wasn't a physical ghost. Thus him being physical was a _bad sign_.

Still grumbling curses about irritating eyestalks he made his way back towards his screens. Time Scepter lifted he moved to check on the _time_ and...

"FUCKING DAMN IT YOU PISS POOR CUNT-SUCKING OBSVERANTS!"

All he could See was Danny, on the gound sobbing, surrounded by nothing but a blown out Nasty Burger. Not even the remains of his friends and family were even present.

* * *

His Tower was a mess, and he didn't dare deny it. He'd tried everything-from tossing random people into the past (they were just obliterated) to telling _himself_ of what was going to happen. _Nothing. Ever. __**Worked.**_

It was enough to drive any ghost to pure insanity. Heck, he was _sure_ he'd passed that point by now. Really. He just preferred to mope about in his aged form and stare at the screens hoping, _praying._ That. It. Wouldn't. Happen.

Of course he'd already exacted revenge on the Observants that screwed up his chances of rescuing Daniel. They wouldn't bother him ever again.

Not since they tasted Nasty Burger explosion like all the other beings he'd sacrificed to see if it would change the past. He'd even gone so far as to pull Vlad Plasmius into a thermos he'd nicked from the Fenton's house.

A bust. Plasmius somehow _escaped_ without his foreknowledge and everything was right back where it was five minutes ago. It wasn't helping that he was still essentially two people and thus his own power was diminished. The nice thing was that Plasmius would forever have a fear of purple. Enough that he'd toss his damned giant blow-up football into the Ghost Zone.

It was a great de-stresser to toss the gaint football at annoying ghosts. Like the Observants. Oh how they'd scatter! And the screaming and terror in their faces! Why it alone brought a grin to his these days.

When he wasn't moping, that is.

But still, he much preferred to sit and mope. To stare at the screens and just...stare, really, there wasn't anything else he could do. He'd tried talking to Daniel once and was chalked up to bad fish. Really, him, _bad fish?_

Why he wanted to rip that boy in two for that comment! But he refrained. His fate was already horrible _and it was all the Observants __**fault**__!_ Complain to _him_ about Daniel would they? This was a future of their doing!

_**THEIRS!**_

Maybe he should toss the football at them again?

* * *

It was a week and essentially nothing happened. Except the nightmares. And increasing murderous thoughts.

Clockwork was beginning to wonder if the perverse future he could See was beginning to affect _him_. If the corrupted time stream was corrupting himself as well. If so he really didn't care anymore. Why should he? The world was going to hell anyway!

Even Ghost Writer thought so. He'd taken to boarding up his library in preparation for the aftermath. Randy boarded up with him, especially after Clockwork threatened to add _him_ to the growing pile of beings launched at the explosion site _during_ the explosion. Really, it was partly his fault too. Wasn't he supposed to have a keen eye on those damned Observants anyway?

Wasn't he supposed to keep them _out_ of his Tower? Some Path-Keeper he was turning out to be!

No, Clockwork was not a pleasant character to be around. Not anymore.

He wanted to punt some more Observants into the blast.

* * *

The day dawned and Clockwork found himself glued to his screens, eyes wide like a child watching his favorite televised show. Just as he'd Seen it, it happened.

"Vlad...I...it hurts too much. I want it to stop," Danny murmured, gaze turned away.

"But Little Badger! You've been doing so well-" Vlad started, rather shocked at the boy's words.

"No, I haven't," Clockwork murmured along with Danny, gaze somewhat distant. "You don't...you don't understand. I can see it, happen, all the time. The fire, the explosion...their expressions of hate and _confusion_...and then that flash. And suddenly they're just _bones_ and _blood_ and _it's everywhere..._and then gone. All gone...forever gone...all away and it's all my fault all my _fault! Gods make it stop __**Plasmius!**_"

Vlad replied, defeated, "Of course, Little Badger," he placed a hand on his shoulder.

Clockwork's lips tugged upwards, his eyes widening with an almost _unholy glee_ as he leaned forward and watched. Vlad hooked Danny up to the table and put him asleep.

_Wouldn't want the Little Badger to feel the pain, after all..._

Clockwork giggled slightly. Pain's a joke really. What did itty bitty pain do to anybody? Oh, right, _destroy the __**timestream!**_ His eyes flashed a murderous red before resettling in that giddy light. The claws were out and gleaming, glistening.

So pretty...for such an evil, vile, thing that ruins all of life. But so, so pretty...

He jumped when they were thrust into Danny's chest and pulled a small plush he'd made in one of his rare moments of non-murderous thought closer to his chest. His eyes widening almost child-like as he watched, and watched...

Phantom was yanked out, ectoplasm dribbling from the wounds. Phantom was confused, then angry, then _furious_. He ripped the claws out of himself and then from Vlad's hands. He flung Vlad at the wall, slicing and dicing, pulling Plasmius free! He leaped and overshadowed the older ghost and there was an explosion of swirling, frightening _green_...

And then...

And then...

"**N**e**v**e**r** t**r**y **t**o **k**i**l**l **m**e** a**g**a**i**n, **D**a**n**n**y**!**"

And then Danny screamed, and Clockwork just _laughed_. High pitched, crazy, manic laughter.

This was the best T.V. he'd ever seen!

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Right...Clockwork's snapped. Eh heh...whoops? So...for those of you wondering just what is going on here and stuff...well, hopefully you're readers of the __**Half-Ghosts, Time & Magic**__ universe. Meaning..._

_**Boredom&Clockwork**__ - oneshot  
__**Of Lightning Bolts, Half-Ghosts & Time Pieces**__ - multi-chaptered still going story  
__**Surprise!**__ - oneshot side-story for __**OLBHG&TP  
The Merlin Incident**__ - drabble series that takes place before __**OLBHG&TP**__ but after __**B&C**_

_If you have then this might make a bit more sense. Basically this is the AU that TUE gave us only in the __**Half-Ghosts, Time & Magic**__ universe. Meaning it'll contain references to Harry Potter, BBC's Merlin, and other random shows. But only minor references. This story focuses more on Dan._

_Quite literally._

_It's Alternate Universe to even __**Half-Ghosts, Time & Magic**__ really. I say that because the main universe follows Danny Phantom pretty closely with few minor changes up until __**Masters of All Time**__. Meaning like in TUE the alternate future was erased. However I've been getting more and more Dan obsessed lately and figured I'd write out that alternate future. Why not? Maybe it'll take away the darkness and seriousness of __**OLBHG&TP**__ which wasn't ever meant to be all that serious anyway. __**OLBHG&TP**__ was meant to be more humorous than serious but it's gotten a bit more dark-ficcy recently._

_I figured I'd try to draw that out with a __**literal**__ dark-ficcy story. Thus this. It won't be pretty, it won't be nice. If that's not your cup of tea then I suggest leaving. Otherwise enjoy._

_Oh, and __**by the way**__...this chapter __**is**__ referenced in __**OLBHG&TP**__. Specifically the chapter titled __**Kidnapping**__. You know, when Clockwork yells about being late, __**again**__? Well, here's where he was late __**for the first time ever**__ and guess what? He went insane._

_Enjoy the crazies and the darkness..._

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	2. Chapter 1: Birth

**Only a Matter of Time  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter One  
_**Birth**

He came into this world enraged. A combination of a furious teen that had nothing left and a psychotic old man. Together they merged, split, twisted...an _abomination_. In response all he wanted to do was_ hurt_, _kill_, _rip_, _tear_, _destroy..._

To end it all, and rebuild anew in his image. Then end it again.

He came into this world enraged, was it any surprise that his first act was to tear himself to pieces? To mentally destroy himself before ripping out that beating, bleeding heart?

He would. He'd enjoy every second of it, never caring. Why should he? _He_ never cared for him.

_**Never**_.

* * *

Fingers gripped flesh and tightened. Air was cut off, eyes wide and form shaking. Snaked tongue stretched out as arms lifted up, dragging the body _closer_ because _they needed to be __**closer**__!_

A shell of an ear, licked, bit, _torn_. Screams of pain were a drug. Behind him another form cowered, shaking and wide eyed.

_Look what you've done foolish mortals, __**look what you've done!**_

Laughter in his head in his throat and the blood so _tasteful..._arms tensed for a brief second and then the other was flying. There was a crunch and a cry as flesh hit the wall and he turned, advancing, eyes alight. Such _sport_..._**such sport!**_

He gripped flesh and clothe and _tore_. Blood pooled between gloves _but it wasn't enough! They weren't __**close enough!**_

Then gloves went, then and he buried fingers into that flesh wanting to _feel_...no, that wasn't feeling right. It was wrong. The running liquid was _so warm_ and _right_ but _**it was wrong!**_

He jerked his fingers out, ignoring the howling, and narrowed his eyes as he pulled the form close to him, rocking it while staring curious. It was just pain, after all. _Just pain..._

He was born of pain.

He ripped and tore at the rest of the cloth, eyes narrowing in concentration. They needed to be _closer_ he could feel it. Why weren't they close enough?

_Inside...he needed inside the __**other!**_

* * *

In the end Danny died in pain and his psychotic fourteen year old self wore his remains, giggling like a child, naked but covered in running red liquid the same color as his eyes. He placed his fingers in his mouth tasting the drug-oh how he wanted and craved and _needed_ it. How he _desired_ it.

"Don't you desire it, Danny?" he asked aloud, ignoring the cowering form of Vlad in the corner. Ignoring the stench of fear and puke. Ignoring the man's horrified gaze. He frowned as no response came and he glanced around, _looking_ for his other half. "Danny? Danny, where are you?"

Danny's severed head plopped down off of fiery white hair and he paused, staring into those baby blue bloodstained eyes before smiling, "There you are, Danny. Why didn't you answer me?" he questioned, picking the head up with a giggle. He frowned again a second later as he gained no response. "Danny? Hellooooo?"

Vlad decided to speak up now, form shaking and tears down his eyes, hysterical, "He's dead you _freak! You killed him! You killed Daniel! You killed my Little Badger!_"

He froze, tilting the head in his hands this way and that, tears coming to his eyes.

"That's not right," he murmured. "I can't kill myself, can I? I didn't kill you, did I Danny? You exist as long as I do, right?"

Silence.

"Right?"

Vlad choked a slight sob but otherwise no one answered the fourteen year old. Red eyes widened slowly as it dawned on him. It took a second, then another, before he realized Vlad wasn't lying.

Danny was dead. _He killed him and wore the remains._

"No..." the child pulled the head close to his chest and hugged, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, so sorry, didn't mean to Danny really. Just wanted to be close again, to be _warm. I'm so so sorry please forgive me Danny please? You'll forgive me right? Right? Danny? Danny? I'll keep you safe I swear just __**please forgive me forgive me forgive me!**_"

* * *

He'd left Vlad's place shortly thereafter, clutching Danny's head tightly to his chest and giggling. Now they'd never be apart! Never ever! All that delicious blood on him and in him and all that skin and muscle and organs wrapped tightly around him.

And the head, clutched to his chest. Danny's head; they'd never be apart ever again. Never ever ever. He'd be warm forever and ever and all would be _right_ he'd make sure of it.

* * *

_**ONWARDS TO THE AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_Well I __**did**__ say this would be dark, right? Did I forget morbid too? Yeah, fourteen year old Dan is a bit psychotic right now. He'll tame down in time, though, you'll see. He's just been born; wouldn't you be a bit giddy after just being __**born**__ again and anew?_

_...right, I'll just go into my corner of shame for writing this. Really. I...don't know if one can enjoy the psychosis unless you were psychotic so moot point, eh?_

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


	3. Chapter 2: Who Am I?

**Only a Matter of Time  
**_By Twin Kats  
**Beta'd by FlyonSilverWings **_

_Chapter Two  
_**Who Am I?**

He had floated about Wisconsin for over a month, steadily moving away from Vlad's mansion, the city, _everything_. Always deep in thought, clutching the severed head of Danny to his naked torso. More often than not his legs were wrapped in a pale, shadowy blue tail as he moved. It was natural, normal, and he'd always floated so.

Or at least he _thought_ he had. Sometimes his own memories became so contradicting it was confusing. Like his birth - or well, first birth. Or was it second birth? Was becoming who he was now a third birth or the second?

It was things like that, that lead to his thoughtful silence. Oh sure he reacted to the outside world, usually rather violently, but he was usually _silent._ He liked the silence. It helped him _think_ and that's what he really wanted to do now.

To think and sort himself _out_. He didn't even know what to call himself anymore! Was he Danny? Was he Vlad? Was he something in-between?

Was he something _new?_

He didn't know.

The screaming of humans that saw his form annoyed him; it broke up the silence that he _sought_. And really they were screaming about the silliest of things! Like Danny, whom he held in his arms tightly to his chest. Or his clothing, skin...whatever they always just _screamed_ about it. So he wasn't wearing anything but entrails and blood, who cared?

It's not like it was ectoplasm and ghost-flesh. Now that he thought of it however that _might_ be more appealing.

Swiftly he shook his head, flaming hair whipping about his face. No, that wasn't what he wanted to think about. Clothing came later. Identity _now_.

He could remember attending the University of Wisconsin, sort of. He actually floated around there for a while but the noise just annoyed him. He left after two days when nothing seemed to really jog in his mind, his memories still a convoluted _mess_ and not in any sort of order.

He had wanted to visit Thorpe but the experience at the University deterred him enough that he instead floated aimlessly through towns, seeking solace and quiet. Usually he holed up in someone's house; they'd scream for about five minutes before he'd rip their throats out. Others were smart and ran.

A few actually tried to _talk_ to him; to _connect_ with him. They suffered for their destruction of his silence and didn't gain the quick death of the screamers.

Yes, he decided, he didn't like the humans. They made too much noise.

He promptly shook his head again, _No! Focus! Find out who you __**are!**_

Well he remembered Amity, and he felt a drawing connection to _Danny_ in those chaotic moments after his first birth. Or was it third? Maybe it was the second...no, first. But that felt horribly wrong! It had to be second! No the third, third was right, right?

He let go of Danny and fisted his hands into his hair, red eyes snapping shut and face scrunching up in concentration. He curled into a floating ball, shaking his head slightly again as he felt his brain _hurt_.

_Think think thinkthinkthinkthink__**think**__!_

"Oh Danny, I'm so sorry!" he yelped, eyes snapping open and kneeling on the ground. He cradled Danny's head against his naked form, stroking the hair and rotting flesh gently, cooing at it almost as he wrapped himself around it. "I didn't mean to drop you, really. I'm just so confused! Who am I Danny? Am I you? Am I fruitloop? _Who am I?_"

* * *

He floated around some more before finally settling into another house. The occupants of this home screeched; the children ran away calling for help. The parents weren't so lucky.

As for him? Well he just held tightly onto Danny's head, bare feet curling into a blood soaked carpet as red eyes stared down at the mutilated remains before him. One of his hands was placed in his mouth, dripping red. He mumbled words constantly around the hand, ignoring everything.

"Mm sowwy Danny; know yous dun wike kiwwing...mmm sowwy bu th' bwoke th' siwence...s'wike th' siwence dun yous?"

He shivered slightly and moved to lie down on the floor, curling up to the rapidly cooling remains and clutching Danny's severed head tightly to his chest. With one hand still in his mouth he closed his eyes and drifted off shivering from an unknown cold.

* * *

He awoke to footsteps.

Red eyes blearily blinked open as he pulled his hand from his mouth and raised his head slightly, seeking out the noise his ears had caught. Someone was trying to move silently but failing horribly, creaking and cracking grass and branches. Outside; they were outside his most recent haunt.

_"Inside, right?"_

The voice was crackling, far away and faint but he could still pick it up. He curled up tighter, clutching Danny's head closer to his body, eyes frantically searching out the bodies that had awoke him. He never noticed his head twisting around at impossible angles as he looked.

_"Right. Think it's still there?"_

He frowned. It? What was it? Him?

_"If the children were correct and all the previous actions we've devised and __**if**__ it's the same ghost from the last thirteen cities then it should still be there."_

Yup, they were discussing him. Ghost; that's what he was right? But not who.

_"Good. Easy does it. Remember it's considered extremely dangerous so if you can't capture then for sure __**eliminate**__ it."_

His eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of that. They were threatening him, he was sure. His body shifted into invisibility and he rose up intangibly going through the ceiling. He glanced around the room he found himself in, lips sneering up in slight distaste. Still he needed somewhere to put Danny, at least while he took care of the threat. He glanced about and then nodded at the dresser. Gently, lovingly, he placed the rotting head down, pushing away jewelry and other such nicknack's.

"I'll be right back so you stay right here, okay Danny?" he whispered, red eyes staring into dull, rotting blues. "Okay?" No response came but he just grinned anyway, a fanged tooth slipping over one of his blue lips. "Good boy, Danny," he murmured, patting the black patch of hair, and then phased back through the floor, red eyes alight with murderous fire.

Invisibly he appeared before the first suited man who was staring in horror at the remains of the former adults in the room. They had entered _his_ house disallowed already? This would not _do!_

"Boo!"

The man screamed, gun going off. He dodged, eyes narrowed. Those were _bad guns_. They'd _hurt_ and he knew it. Lip curling in distaste his fist alighted with green ecto-fire and he leaped forward. A well placed punch and the man screaming again, followed by a sharp ecto-blast and the white-man was on the ground, hugging his face and almost sobbing.

"Sorry, sorry!" he gasped to the white-man. "You just...you destroyed the silence, see? Danny and I were all happy in the silence. You destroyed it. They destroyed it. You must go, go with the bad guns that hurt, yes?" He pulled the white-man up and smiled, nodding slowly. "Yes. _Go._"

This time his punch didn't just burn and damage; it reduced the white-man's head to bloody pulp. He giggled, dropping the body to the ground and dancing around it. Sing-songing he called out to the other white-men.

"Come out come out where ever you are!"

Guns blared with anti-ecto energy but he just _laughed_ and dodged around them.

"I'll paint your white roses _red_," he giggled and _jumped_.

The bloodbath began.

* * *

He made his way back to the house, smiling at the blissful silence that now invaded the whole city he was in. It didn't matter in the end, however, because he had good news for Danny!

Who knew who he was now. Or at least who he would _be_. And besides he felt it was time to move on.

After all _Dan Phantom_ had a world to burn. Things like his past would just drag him down.

* * *

_**Onwards to the Author's Note!**_

_Whenever I imagine Dan as a fourteen year old I can't help but see a crazy, murdering, and yet still unsure of him kid. Really. I also don't think that after his rather...exploding birth he probably wouldn't be all that sane for a while anyway. Two halves merging but what would happen to the memories?_

_They'd probably be in a giant mess; so much so that Dan had to do some soul searching to find himself. That's what this was, in a way. I guess he found himself murdering a cities worth of people? Granted I don't know __**how**__ that would work exactly but it did._

_I'm really trying not to dwell on what Dan did to everybody. I already get a few nightmares out of this as it is! Or well my nightmares sort of fueled this product? Pariah knows I have had quite a few terrifying ones over the years._

_Yeah...Oh! I learned something __**valuable**__._

_Apparently threatening your muse and characters with denial of them and forcing them to split up works! I say this because last night I went to sleep with loads of new ideas to continue this...dark thing. As evidenced above._

_Dan really didn't like me threatening to ditch him for actual work. Nor the threats to break up him and Clockwork. Really..._

_Of course somehow those thoughts on what happens next turned into a Clockwork/Danny dream, which then became Harry/Danny and THEN Harry/Draco._

_...I have no words for my own mind. I woke up to Harry grinding into Draco's ass. Really. Then I had to pee._

_I will never understand how my brain constitutes 'wet dream' things with using the potty. Stupid brain. Why must you give me erotic dreams when I need to pee? WHY?_

_...sorry, failing mentality. Oh well. I'd say enjoy but...well, I don't think mass carnage is something to enjoy._

_edit: beta'd by FlyonSilverWings_


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